I just read Room, by Emma Donoghue, in a flurry and a rush. It is beautiful and painful and very much in the company of the works Donoghue cites as inspiration, stories of parents in impossible situations, like The Road (McCarthy) and Life is Beautiful (Benigni). Thinking on those works, here are some parenting tips if you find yourself in hell with a small child, perhaps the hell of a concentration camp, or wandering a post-apocalyptic landscape, or imprisoned in a basement or shed for years on end:
structure your day
every object is precious, keep track of them
everything has multiple uses
hell is fun! for kids who don't know better
teach them everything you know, all the time
even one book is a great source of words, games
it's ok to cry sometimes, just don't let it overwhelm you
eat the best diet you can, multivitamins are your friends
other people may seem to want to help, but you can only trust the two of you
the world outside your bubble is both more terrible and more friendly than you imagine it
even the most hellish parts can be made into a game
after your child has outgrown the fiction that they aren't in hell that you construct for them, he'll pretend to believe it because he sees it helps you cope
fresh fruit can be the most colorful wonderful thing in the world
the best games don't need anything but two people talking to each other
everything you do to prepare them for the day you'll be gone is never enough
Today's menu:
breakfast: cinnamon toast and rooibos
lunch: can of chick peas
dinner: ribeye and red wine reduction, broiled asparagus, onion tart, spouted lentil salad
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